


High Enough, or How Two Lovestruck Musicians Throw a Wedding to Remember

by ProfessorDesertCoyote13



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, High Enough, Song Based, one chapter, wedding rock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:40:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23787970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProfessorDesertCoyote13/pseuds/ProfessorDesertCoyote13
Summary: A bright beach wedding is all the reason Connie needs to give her husband-to-be Steven a big surprise. Nothing like an impromptu rock show to liven things up at the altar.
Relationships: Bismuth/Pearl (Steven Universe), Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	High Enough, or How Two Lovestruck Musicians Throw a Wedding to Remember

**Author's Note:**

> Occurs 4-5 years after the events of "The Future," making Steven 20-21 and Connie 19-20. By this time Connie has already graduated (she was on an early graduation curve), and Steven has kept her company at college the entire time she worked on her degree. They have kept close contact with their loved ones in Beach City the whole time, however.

“… brings us together today, this celebration of love and devotion.”

The words, spoken with a smooth voice like dark velvet on a cloud, reinforced for everyone present on the beach this brilliant August day what the purpose of their gathering was. The young lovers stood at the head of the makeshift aisle, a crowd of human citizens of Beach City and gem residents of Little Homeworld centering their attention on two of their own, who they had witnessed grow up, grow away, and then return. Smiles broke across the faces of all of the attendees.

On the Beach City side of the group, at the head of the aisle, stood the resplendent and smiling visage of Connie Maheswaran, almost glowing in her bridal regalia, the custom armor Bismuth had fitted her with allowing her both comfort and motion. She breathed deeply but with excitement, as this day’s plans had gone off without a hitch. She hoped that her extracurricular plans for the ceremony would as well. She shot a quick, thankful look back toward her bridesmaids, Pearl and Bismuth. Of course, she wouldn’t have had her wedding without Pearl, her favorite teacher and matron of honor, and of course she wouldn’t ask her to do it without her own spouse.

Standing on the side of Little Homeworld, slightly constrained by the formal wear he insisted he wear for the occasion, was the diamond son Steven Universe, nearly vibrating with his own excitement over the event … he had always loved weddings, and this being his own made it all the more thrilling. A gentle purple hand patted his arm to calm him down, a big reason he had picked Amethyst to be his best gem. On the other side of her, Steven caught a glimpse of his father Greg, who simply beamed. Greg had always liked Connie, and after Steven’s breakdown he had come to love her like a daughter.

At the head of the aisle, the smiling visage of Garnet warmly looked over her friends and family, her eyes visible for a change since Steven and Connie had asked her to leave her visor off for the ceremony. Not for any particular reason, just because they wanted to see her eyes. Those three eyes shone with great warmth, for Steven and Connie, for everyone present. She looked over to the assembled crowd, as Steven and Connie turned toward each other to join hands.

“And so it is now, today, we have come to witness the fusion of two hearts, the marriage of Connie Maheswaran and Steven Universe.” Garnet spread her hands widely, encompassing the two young celebrants in a visual hug. “We have known them for so long, known their friendship, known their highs and lows, and now share the highest of their highs.”

“So far!” a high pitched voice rang from the front of the Little Homeworld side. Steven chuckled as he recognized Peridot’s enthusiasm.

Garnet smiled and returned to her solemn duty. “May we have the rings, please?”

Both Steven and Connie turned to their respective parties. Amethyst extracted a small gold ring out of an inner pocket of her jacket, planting it in Steven’s hand. Meanwhile, Pearl teleported a red anodized ring out of her gem into her hand, delicately landing it in her own hand before handing it to Connie. Turning back toward each other, they deftly slipped the jewelry onto each other’s fingers. When it was done, Garnet re-established their attention.

“These rings represent your devotion and love. They are a reminder that you will always be together, even when you are apart.” She turned toward Steven. “Steven Quartz Cutiepie DeMayo Diamond Universe, do you take this woman, Connie Maheswaran, as your wife and partner, to love, honor, and cherish forever?”

Steven grinned widely. He caught a glimpse in Connie’s eyes, reflecting that same love right back at him. His voice quivered. “I do.”

Garnet nodded. “Good choice.” This brough a chuckle from the assembled witnesses as the fused gem turned toward Connie. “Connie Maheswaran, do you take this man, Steven Quartz Cutiepie DeMayo Diamond Universe, as your husband and partner, to love, honor, and cherish forever?”

Connie’s heart felt like it would burst, both with her love and with her anticipation of what she was planning. “With all my heart, I do.”

Garnet nodded reverently. “Then it shall be so.” She lifted up her hands. “Let everyone here be witness to the love we confirm here today. There’s just one more thing.” She cued Connie with her eyes, smiling.

Connie took her cue, turning back to Pearl. She was already taking action, as her gem was teleporting items out again. Two items in particular, her bass guitar and the royal blue electric violin Steven had given Connie as an engagement present.

Connie smiled. “Thank you. And Steven …” she turned to face her husband-to-be and spoke sweetly, placing the instrument on her shoulder, the bow in her other hand gently touching the strings. “Steven, this is for you.”

She began playing a gentle, sweet melody on the violin. Instantly Greg’s ears perked up, as he recognized that string line. His recognition was confirmed as Connie began singing.

_“I don’t wanna hear about it anymore/It’s a shame I gotta live/Without you any more …”_

Steven recognized the song too. His heart jumped into his throat, then back down, and felt like it had swelled to the size of his entire body. He turned around toward Amethyst, who stood there grinning, holding up two guitars: the striped older six string Greg had used on stage back in the day, and the streamlined pink newer axe Steven had picked up on his travels. Both men assumed control of their instruments from the gem, strapping them on as Connie reached the next lines of the verse.

_“There’s a fire in my heart/A pounding in my brain/Driving me crazy …”_

Steven found himself unconsciously weeping, even through his grin at the surprise. “I love you, Connie,” he whispered before jumping in and harmonizing with his bride. _“We don’t need to talk about it anymore/Yesterday’s just a memory/Can we close the door …”_

The sweetness of Connie’s voice created a slight contrast to the baritone Steven’s voice had developed over the years. She dropped out briefly to hear his voice take the lead.

_“I just made one mistake/I didn’t know what to say …”_

_Okay, long enough! “When you called me baby!”_ Connie’s voice meshed with Steven’s like they were two strings on the same piano. She dipped her shoulder to create emphasis for a long arpeggio, leading into the next lines of the song. Steven’s guitar became more heavy, emphasizing the rock groove. He came nearly nose-to-nose with Connie as they launched into the next lyrics.

_“Don’t say goodnight/Say you’re gonna stay forever/Whoa oh all the way!”_

Steven answered Connie’s arpeggio with one of his own, his fingers scrambling up and down the neck of the guitar in a flash. Both Steven and Connie launched themselves into the refrain, the joy evident in their voices and their playing, the crescendo of the music matching the swelling of their hearts.

_“Can you take me high enough/To fly me over yesterday?/Can you take me high enough/It’s never over/Yesterday’s just a memory …”_

Steven’s eyes shone, bright and loving to his love and best friend. He brought the music back to a sweeter, more wistful level to start the next verse. _“I don’t want to live without you anymore/Can’t you see I’m in misery/And you know for sure …”_

Now it was Connie’s turn for heart pangs, albeit joyous ones. Tears formed in her own eyes. She had practiced the song away from Steven for weeks now, to keep this a surprise until today, and even after studying the lyric sheet repeatedly and practicing the song even more repeatedly, the next line always affected her and made her feel even more emotional toward him. _“I would live and die for you/And I’d know just what to do/When you call me baby …”_

Another guitar sting. This time, the rest of the wedding party joined the happy couple going into the next refrain. Greg, keeping pace with his son’s ample playing, and Amethyst, simply having the time of her life, jumped behind Steven. _“Don’t say goodbye …”_

Pearl and Bismuth, behind Connie, shared a loving look between themselves. Bismuth placed an arm around her partner. _“Say you’re gonna stay forever …”_

And then the entire group collected on the beach, Beach City and Little Homeworld together, joined in. _“Whoa oh, all the way …”_

The group deferred to Steven and Connie and their friends at the head of the aisle, launching into the refrain again. All except Garnet, however … she was strangely silent, though at this point in the song Steven and Connie were oblivious to anyone but themselves. _“Can you take me high enough/To fly me over yesterday?”_

Behind the happy couple, the party was starting to rock harder. Greg and Amethyst stood back-to-back, as Amethyst air-riffed along with Greg’s actual playing. Bismuth clung tighter to Pearl, who was getting lost in the bassline, turning from time to time to share a gentle stroke of the face. _“Can you take me high enough/It’s never over/Yesterday’s just a memory …”_

 _“I’m running …”_ Steven’s guitar got more insistent, his voice more intense. It was clear how much the song was affecting both himself and Connie, as she locked her eyes on her groom. _“I was running for the door/The next thing I remember …”_

Connie finished the line for Steven with a sly grin and publicly-acceptable bedroom eyes. _“I was running back for more, yeah …”_

Connie stepped back slightly, allowing the Universe men to come together on a power guitar riff that they passed back and forth, perfect harmony between the two. Greg had always waxed admiringly about this particular guitar solo, marveling at how the chord progressions were in a major key but the riff itself was in the relative minor. Both he and Steven asserted their own styles on the solo: Greg’s guitar had more of the earthy tones, lower in pitch and wider in timbre; whereas Steven expressed technicality in his fingerings, notes chirping off the strings like quick absent thoughts, absent any meaning but that which Connie gave to Steven’s life, and vice versa.

For her part, Connie held herself back, her strings maintaining the momentum of the song, backing her husband-to-be and the man she saw now as a second father figure. The solo wound down, coming back to the verse. Connie stepped back up, with more artful play on her instrument, until she was shoulder-to-shoulder with Steven once more, catching the verse.

_“Don’t say goodbye/Say you’re gonna stay forever/Whoa oh all the way …”_

Steven grinned, launching into another dramatic arpeggio. _“All the way …”_

Connie raised her voice into a rocker wail no one had ever known her to be able to achieve. _“All the way, yeah!”_ Her own fingers joined in Steven’s arpeggio, creating a harmonic run to match the intensity of the love between them, climaxing into a shattering power chord.

_“Can you take me high enough/Can you fly me over yesterday?”_

Their merged voices, joined in happiness and love, caused an emotional shockwave throughout the assembled parties. Everyone present was in tears, their eyes locked on the lovers’ duet they were witnessing.

_“Can you take me high enough/It’s never over/Whoa oh oh oh …”_

Greg, wiping tears away, smiled at his son and gracefully backed away, bringing his guitar silent once more. Pearl took her cue from Greg and silenced her bass, though she did not automatically return it to her gem as she might have normally.

_“Can you take me high enough/Can you fly me over yesterday?”_

Everyone was now completely focused on Steven and Connie. They were close to each other, facing each other once again, closing the miniscule gap between them quickly as the song began winding down, the only instruments now present being Steven’s guitar and Connie’s violin.

_“Can you take me high enough/It’s never over/Whoa oh oh ohhhh …”_

Steven too, finally, dropped out, his guitar’s strings ringing with their last note. All that was left in the crisp sea air was the sound of Connie’s violin, concluding the song with her own soft, sweet style. Both hers and Steven’s cheeks shone with their happy tears, as the two longtime jam buds touched their foreheads together.

At this point, Garnet chose to break her own silence. Tears streamed from all three of her eyes, even as a wide smile decorated the rest of her face. “I think that will do.” She placed her hands on Steven and Connie’s shoulders, continuing quietly. “By the power vested in me by the state of Delmarva, I now pronounce you husband and wife, partners for life.” Her eyes got intense as she looked between the two young newlyweds. “Remember you two, your love is always the true experience.” Her smile turned into a grin. “You may kiss.”

They looked breathlessly at each other, still rocking the performer’s high. Instruments were cast aside as they clutched to each other and kissed, the energy built up from the song spilling out into their lips. After what felt like a pleasurable eternity, they disengaged, smoldering emotions making them both weep.

“I love you,” Connie breathlessly whispered.

“I love you too,” Steven’s voice barely squeaked back.

Garnet wiped the tears from all of her eyes, turning her attention to the witnesses. “Ladies, gentlemen, gems of Little Homeworld, please allow me to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Steven and Connie Maheswaran-Universe!”

The energy of the song was built up in the crowd as well, as they erupted in joyous cheering for the happy couple, a sound that belonged more in a mosh pit than a chapel setting. After exuberant hugging from their families, Steven and Connie raced back up the aisle, to begin their new life.

**Author's Note:**

> Song credit: "High Enough" by Damn Yankees (https://open.spotify.com/track/5t5rCnsgRBtcKqTB7SbD1Q?si=FCXoa0c0Q6a5WHntZBlzFg). (If you play the song while reading, it enhances the experience!)
> 
> Connie's violin in this fic is a Bridge Aquila electric violin (https://www.electricviolinshop.com/bridge-aquila-true-purple-black.html).
> 
> Steven's guitar in this fic is a Hagstrom Fantomen (https://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/listing/hagstrom-fantomen-white-wlundgren-pickups/17885515).


End file.
